


The Rebound

by LostandFound_ShipperNerd



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 1968 Chevy Camaro, A cookie monster, Alternate Universe - Office, Apartment Complex, Apple Tea, Armin and Mikasa vibes, Armin gets a little annoyed, Assistant Petra Ral, Awkward Conversations, Awkwardness, Calling, Cats, Cell Phones, Coffee Shops, Confessions, Cute, Daddy Issues, Drivers licence, Dysfunctional Family, Eren doesn't like mornings, Eren is 26, Eren is in Denial, Eren is very attracted to levi, Eren wants something to drink, Eren's life at home, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gordon Ramsey - Freeform, Gossip, Hange spills some things she shouldn't, Harry Potter - Freeform, He struggles to come across as a normal person, Hell's Kitchen, House Party, Idiots in Love, Interior Decorating, It's just the neighbour, Levi is 32, Levi is actually pretty socially awkward, Levi is determined, Levi needs a little therapy, Levi realises some shit, Levi's Tearoom, Light Angst, Love gossip, M/M, Mikasa loves mornings, Music, One Night Stands, POV Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Parties, Past Relationship(s), Petra Ral - Freeform, Phone Calls & Telephones, Pot Noodles, References to Depression, Sandwiches, Shopping Trip, SinaTreasures, Smoking, Something about to go down, Tea, Tea Shop, Tea Shop Owner Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Teapot Tradition, Trust Issues, Weddings, Work, Work In Progress, Workplace Relationship, bad combo, just kidding, kidding, party time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2020-07-23 06:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20003650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostandFound_ShipperNerd/pseuds/LostandFound_ShipperNerd
Summary: Eren swore off men when his last partner abandoned him at the altar, now five years older, the universe might just be throwing a love lifeline to Eren... or several because Eren can't seem to take a hint!!!!!!!EREN/LEVI FANFIC!!!!!!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, this is my second story to do with Eren and Levi, my last one kinda fell flat due to personal issues but I will be picking that one up as well in the near future! Yay! (＾ω＾)
> 
> My best friend is now helping me out with the story and editing so it makes me more motivated to complete this and shower it with love, haha! (´∀`)
> 
> Let me know if you like the first chapter! (⊃‿⊂)
> 
> By the way, i will be uploading every Saturday with this story! ɷ◡ɷ

I saw him there in the hallway. I didn’t realize at the time that he would one day become my husband.  
In fact, I had sworn off men so when I saw him, I walked straight past him without even a glance. Although, that didn’t stop any of my friends from trying to point him out to me.

“Oh Eren, look at that guy over there by the water tank, he’s super good – looking, you should definitely go talk to him,” Mikasa slyly pointed behind her while giving me a slight nudge. I look over to my friends, Armin simply smiled brightly with a chuckle and a thumbs up while Mikasa gave me a suggestive pointed look with a smirk spreading across her face. Sighing, I peered ahead and picked up my pace until we got into the next building around the corner, where our offices are. We walked in silence, however, Mikasa had other plans when she stopped me, turned me around to face her and Armin who were both slightly panting. 

Surprised by the sudden movement, I rapidly responded with a sharp “What is it?” Mikasa regained her breath as her fiery silver eyes zoned in on my own surprised emerald ones. “Okay Eren, this needs to stop, it’s been way too long since the arsehole, you need to move on and forget what happened with him, you’re just gonna make yourself miserable.” Her stern tone laced with worry made me realise that she was just trying to look out for me. Ah, I always get fired up by these kinds of conversations lately and I end up feeling like a shithead afterwards for how I treat the others by being so dismissive. It had been five years since me and my ex had broken up, I still can’t seem to get over the whole ordeal. 

Well, he did leave me by the altar so I guess that explains my lack of trust in any potential long-time partner, I thought wryly to myself. I put on the biggest smile I could afford trying to lift the worry the others had for me as I felt bad that I had made them worry at all. “Mikasa, I’m doing just fine without him or anyone else for that matter so I don't see the reason to jump into a relationship of any sort just yet,” I force the words out of my mouth with a forced smile pasted onto my face. She takes a huge sigh and hangs her head in what seems like contemplation for what I said. I can instantly tell from the slitted eyes and pursed lips that Armin can sense trying to cover up how I really feel and from the look he is giving me, he is pissed off. 

Armin used to be a lot different when we were young but after his grandpa kept his cancer a secret from him and suddenly died a few years back, Armin became so much more perceptive when we lie. His face morphed, the pensive look from before was taken over by one of happiness, however, I've known Armin too long that I know its fake joy he’s showing, I have always appreciated the effort though. “How about we all just go in and start working? This isn’t exactly the greatest start to the morning, it's best if we just take our mind off this whole conversation, yeah?” His voice sounds light and fun but his blue eyes seem sad as he smiles gently. Ah, I should have said nothing, it would have been so much easier. 

I inwardly groan at my mistake. Mikasa slowly nods to herself as her head rises and her gaze swings between us. Her sharp eyes settle on Armin and with a shadow of a grin, she replies, almost sarcastically, “Yeah, that sounds like a bloody good idea, I haven’t even had my coffee today and that's almost like a sin.” We all chuckle in unison at Mikasa’s exaggeration, the atmosphere completely lifted and it appeared that all the smiles around were genuine, even the people around were looking at us shaking their heads but still having little smiles on their faces.

“The fact that you like coffee is a damn sin, Mikasa,” Armin quietly giggled. Another round of chuckles preceded from me and Armin while Mikasa stood mock-shocked at Armin’s insult. Flipping her raven hair behind her, she fake checked her nails and calmly replied with a little grin, “At least more people like drinking coffee than tea, unlike you, you heathen.” Sarcasm dripped from Armin’s lips as his jaw dropped. The sassy hand resting on his chest was an added flair that I greatly enjoyed. His head snapped it’s attention from Mikasa to me and in a matter of fact tone, he said, “Well, I know that Eren prefers tea anyway so that's two to one, meaning you lose this fight” Snapping his head back to Mikasa, he adds a smirk to his face and exclaims, “Booya Bitch!” 

“Armin, I like hot chocolate more than any other hot beverage so technically you’re wrong.” I shyly point out in the middle of this fierce debate while slowing backing away with small flick upwards of my lips. “So Booya Bitch to you both.” I couldn’t help myself but leave that final quiet remark which of course they both heard. Through a jumble of “oh hell no” and “Was that blasphemy I just heard?” I decided that it would be best to lightly sprint away from crazy idiots. I found myself outside my modern office with my name pasted across the glass door in bold, black writing, “Eren Yeager - Lead Interior Designer.”

Seeing my title has always given me a buzz of joy. I’ve worked so hard to get here and it’s nice to know my hard work paid off in the end, not everyone is as fortunate as me and that's what I need to keep reminding myself. Taking a sharp breath, I twisted the handle and like a switch, happily entered into work mode for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren goes home after a day of work... The day ends pretty normally however, the new day begins in an unexpected way!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My best friend and I had fun writing this chapter and I hope you love reading it as much as we have.
> 
> We have written so much already but it's still only in the beginning stages of the story! （＾ω＾）
> 
> Please let us know if you enjoy the story so far! (ᗒᗨᗕ)
> 
> The story will be updated every Saturday!

Ah, what a day that was. Armin and Mikasa didn’t bring up anything to do with dating when I saw them again at lunch, which I deeply appreciated. Other than that, it had been a rather uneventful day besides meeting some architects that I might be working with on future projects. I don’t live too far away from where I work so while everyone drives into the office, I love to walk. It clears my head, I believe, from the days stresses like meeting architects. I live on the slightly less than nice side of town so it’s mostly run-down flats and closed shops but it’s fine for me. It always smells of someone’s cooking in the area, sometimes I like to make a game over whos cooking it is. It can be Pad Tai one day or fish and chips on another, it always smells so good though. The people are extremely welcoming so we have a good sense of community here and I don't really want to give that up just to go live in a big, fancy house all alone.

Walking up the many stairs of my apartment complex, I get stopped every two minutes by residents asking how my day has been. It's quite nice and lovely having a community like this, always makes me feel at home. Dragging my feet from the exhausting climb, I reach my floor. As I approach my door, I hear the familiar creak of my neighbours opening. "EREN," I turned my head towards the excited voice and of course, I see Hange in her full hippie get up with her arms flailing around, "how was your day today? You said you were meeting some important people today, I hope it all went okay." I can't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm but it is a very endearing quality to her. Hanji is probably my one really good friend in the complex, she always keeps me in the loop about all the dramas that go down while I'm at work. 

"Yeah, my day was good as usual. I saw the architects and while they weren't as receptive of our vision for the property, we still got some good ideas in for when it's finished." Ahh, it's nice to talk casually about work today. Hange listens to whatever I say and she never seems to look tired, in fact, she always seems like she gets more excited as the conversation continues. With a big smile brightening her face, Hange puts her hand on my shoulder and bubbly replies, "Oh, that's great though, I'm sure you have some more time to make them understand your vision, architects are just fickle cause of the councils budget and all." 

"Thanks, Hange, what would I do without your council?" My words had a large amount of sarcasm in them and I could tell from Hange's sudden mischievous look in her eyes that she caught it too. "Well Eren, I think we both know you would crash and burn without me obviously," her playful tone is always something to worry about because that's when her scheming comes into play. "O-okay, I believe you, now I'm in need of a nap so I'll see you around," I quickly say while shyly budging my way out of her grasp and pull my attention towards my apartment door. "Hehe, good good and yeah, go ahead, I don't want to hold you back after all your tiring work today," the soft words echo to me as I opened my door. 

Getting inside, I flick on the light switch and watch as the room lights up showcasing my open planned living space. My feet trudge along to my bedroom, where a simple, grey double bed awaits for me. The walls are pure white all around me, the most colour in the room is my own sun-kissed skin and brown hair. I fling my bag onto the painted white Wicca chair beside me. Sighing deeply, I walk casually over to my drawers in the corner and pull out my favourite pyjamas (Harry Potter ones). I get changed out of my clothes and lazily put on my pj’s. My eyes begin to feel heavy and my balance starts to falter. Crashing my body, letting it sink into the large, grey bed, my mind drifts slowly towards escape. 

Ah shit, my mind raced as I abruptly forced myself out of my dreams. “Ugh, what’s the bloody time?” I angrily mumbled. Pulling my arm up to my face, I read the watch that said, “12:27”, Shit again, I still have to get myself something to eat. As I shuffled into the kitchen, a sound began to fill my ears. I believe it was coming from Hange’s apartment. Well, she is the only one on this floor that has parties and blasts out ACDC. While I'm definitely not opposed to ACDC, it’s fucking 12:30 at fucking night and I have work tomorrow. Ugh, crap, I need to tell someone to turn it down. Still racked with sleep, I grabbed my phone and keys. The volume seemed to increase again almost making the wall between me and Hange’s apartment shake. I groaned out loud as I approached my front door, what if they don’t want to turn down the music? Ugh, I'll deal with that bridge when I get to it. I step outside my apartment, is that the song “Footloose” playing?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, my best friend and I had a laugh writing this chapter (plus we fangirled super hard at this too). （๑✧∀✧๑）
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! ۹(ÒہÓ)۶
> 
> The story gets updated every Saturday! ヽ(o♡o)/
> 
> Also, look at the end notes for some funny things we said while writing this chapter! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The hallway was pitch black so I could barely pick anything out. If it wasn’t for the light spilling out from under Hange’s door, I wouldn’t be able to see anything. I stride over to her door and bash the door three times really loudly. Waiting a few seconds to hear footsteps coming to the door but all I hear is the sound of Aha’s “Take on Me”, shit. 

“You okay there, cupcake?” What the Fuck? There’s someone else here? Panicked, I looked around only to see behind me, a person with a freshly lit up cigarette. Even with the bad lighting from the cigarette, I can make out that this person is gorgeous. Holy shit and I just banged on Hange’s door like a possessed arsehole. They take a puff and for a moment, around us becomes slightly brighter. Well, I’m pretty sure that is one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen. 

From what I saw, he had short black hair, a white t-shirt and black jeans. Ah, a bad boy look always gets me, I can feel the warmth spreading across my face, oh god, I'm blushing. Thank goodness, it’s still pretty dark here. The stranger took a deep drag of their cigarette before blowing the smoke out and commenting, “Nice pyjamas there, big Harry Potter fan myself,” Fuck, I forgot about my PJ’s. My face is probably bright red now, fantastic. His light tone sounds like he’s friendly enough, maybe I can see if he’s at this party. “Yeah, i-i’m fine and thanks, they’re just some old ones I put on, y’know,” Why do I sound like a child giving a presentation? I sound awful but it doesn’t matter, I'm probably never gonna meet him again. This thought gives some confidence so I gently ask him, "Are you at this party?” 

I hear a quiet chuckle from Mr cigarette man as he pleasantly tells me,” I am, Hange is a good friend of mine even though she is fucking crazy at times.” I have found someone to ask to turn down the music, mission accomplished. “Could I ask you to turn down the music from inside then?” My voice became so quiet, I doubt he even heard me over the noise. As I prepared myself to say it again, I heard him reply, "Why don’t you just go in and turn it down yourself?” I’m in my pyjamas here, you idiot. Why would I go into a party in my pyjamas? “Well, to be honest… I’m in my pyjamas and I wasn't invited and I think it would be rude if I just went into my neighbour's apartment to turn off her music,” I tried to sound as far away from condescending as I could. 

I need him to help me so I finally can sleep in peace for work tomorrow. The silence in the hallway almost drowned out the music filtering out into the corridor. A few moments like this go by, the air seems to have become stale and thick. My heartbeat began a faster pace as the moments flashed past. The mysterious man mumbled under his breath, “Well, it wasn’t that good of a cigarette anyway,” before I can ask him what he means, the man snubs out his cigarette and begins to walk to Hange’s door. As he opens her door, warm light spills into the corridor and his silhouette is all that I can see for a moment. 

From what I can see, he is quite lean and clearly works out. It looks just right on him, my eyes begin to trail down him and I notice that his arse is pretty nice too. A sudden motion takes my eyes away from his sweet ass and back to his head. Ah, he was turning around, I hope he didn’t notice me checking him out, the blood drained from my body and was sent straight to my cheeks for what I saw. Damn, this mysterious man had some hauntingly beautiful eyes, from what light bounced off his face, they appeared almost glowing silver. His face was definitely super-model worthy but it seems from the lack of lines on his face, he doesn’t smile much. Whatever it is, Hange has some fucking stunning friends, damn.

“Hey, you look cute in your PJ’s, you don’t need to be embarrassed, alright?” He asked in a silky low voice that felt very personal like it was only for us to hear. The smallest of smiles graced the man's lips almost in a reassuring way and wow, he’s cute, now I’m blushing even more, fuck sake. “Anyway bye, hope you have a good night… Oh and that you get the sleep you wanted… well, see ya,” And this guy is nice. I can’t keep up this amount of blushing, stop. As Mr “nice pyjamas” guy walks into the party and closes the door, I realise why I was here in the first place. Crap, I didn't even see if he was going to turn down the music. Probably not, why would he do what I tell him to? Ah, I should have been nicer or something. 

Panic sets in after a couple of seconds, the song “Africa” starts playing at full volume then silence. The music had virtually stopped, I could hear the faint complaints of the party-goers, such as ‘what the fuck’ and ‘why’d you do that?’’ Before I knew it, I caught myself smiling in the darkened hallway. I look down at my hands slightly trembling, a little giggle escaped my mouth as I realised that he listened to my request. Shaking my head at how ridiculous I’m being, I quickly shuffled back to my own door with a wide, goofy grin. As I climbed into my cushioned bed, I could not hear the booming, constant music from next door. I know it’s stupid to fall asleep thinking about someone you just met but he was just really cute. The chances of me meeting him again are slim so what’s so bad about letting him take over my dreams for a while? I smile to myself as my mind drifts closer and closer to blissful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A whole segment of notes from this chapter:
> 
> "I know!!!!! Hehehehehehe Awww!! That is just the perfect end to the chapter, I can’t wait to see what people think of it! Same, in a week though!!!!!!! Aww a week feels like such a long time away but I bet it’ll go fast. Adds to the suspense hahahhahaheeheeheheheheheheheheeeheheheheh yes. It. does. hahahahhahaha *Evil laughter continues* I. love. It.!! WOOOOOOW! Nice booty! Checking the booty Eren! AHAHHA the ‘nice pjs’ line!! I was waiting for that, I love it so much! Aww Levi being cute too."
> 
> Also, usually, my best friend just helps me with commenting on what I am writing but I just wanted everyone to know that she wrote the structure of the last paragraph from this chapter. I had no idea what I was going to write so she just decided to write the outline herself to help me. (≧▽≦)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren woke up and forgot it was Saturday...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't forget it was Saturday so here is the next chapter of The Rebound! Yay! (✪ฺܫ✪ฺ)
> 
> Also, a little fun fact, I love watching Kdramas so I love plot twists, there aren't any typical plot twists in here but I was inspired by them, haha! ◙‿◙
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this chapter! (´∀`)
> 
> I may release another chapter later on today so keep your eyes out for the next instalment! ☆*ヾ(-∀・*)*+☆

The familiar beep stirs me from a deep slumber that I wish I could stay in forever. However, duty calls and it’s time to get ready for work, I mute the alarm blaring out from my watch that’s still on my wrist. I wonder what the weathers like today? Please don’t be raining, please don’t be raining, I internally chanted as I begrudgingly forced myself out of bed. “Fuck,” the sharp curse jetted out of my mouth as I looked out the living room window, it’s raining. I hurry back to my room and begin to pick out today’s outfit. I find that my style ranges from smart casual to Harry Potter. 

Speaking of which, I should get changed now. As I begin to pull my top up, I look down at my awesome Harry Potter Pj’s and suddenly, I remember last night's events. The handsome, mysterious stranger that was nice enough to turn the music down for me. Instinctively, my lips formed into a little smile and I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. A faint buzzing filtered into my head and as it spun me out of my thoughts, I realised it was the doorbell. Why is someone ringing my bell at 8 am in the morning? And why aren’t they stopping? Already annoyed with having my thoughts interrupted, I marched across my living space to my door and the constant ringing lunatic behind it. 

I grab the metal handle with one hand, fling the lock off with the other and swung the door open. I’m going to actually kill her, it’s decided. Mikasa stood by my doorbell and with her index finger pressed the button yet again. She looked at me in the eyes and even though her eyes seemed spaced out, she continued to press the bell. I swear if she presses that bell one more time, I am going to punch her in the gut. It seems her trance finished as her silver eyes fluttered and brought her back to her senses, “Oh Eren, sorry I didn't register that you were in front of me, whoops,” Mikasa awkwardly laughed as she seemed to register my annoyance as well. 

“What is it, Mikasa? Why are you here at my apartment? I’ll see you at work in like an hour... Wait, are you here to give me a lift or something? You know I like to walk to work,” I fired off a set of questions as my mood has now been set for the day and it’s out of patience already. “Woah, what’s with this hostility towards me?” Mikasa exclaimed as she backed away with her hands in front of her. “Also, it’s Saturday Eren, we don’t have work today but you did promise that you would go into town with me and Armin today so get that grumpy arse out of this miserable apartment,” Mikasa said all of this with one breath and honestly, I’m a little bit in awe. Wait, it’s actually Saturday? Damn, my time-keeping skills are getting worse, I thought it was Thursday. 

An image of a particular raven haired hottie crossed my mind for a split second. Oh crap, then I was probably being too harsh on the party-goers last night. Oh god, what if I have to meet any of those people? How am I to face them? They’re most likely going to think I’m frigid or something, fantastic. Only one person saw who I was so hopefully I don't run into him again otherwise I'll die of embarrassment. Bring myself to the present, I loosen my body and calmly tell Mikasa, "Sorry, I forgot for a minute about all of that, I'll go in and change now." 

I race in and change quickly into my outfit on my bed; A simple white button-up shirt with terracotta trousers and penny loafers of the same colour to match. As I gathered my things for the day out, I heard strange heavy panting from outside my front door. What the hell could that be? Jogging over, I opened my door again to be met with Armin desperately gasping for air with beads of sweat dripping down his face. “What the bloody hell happened to you?” The question shot out my mouth without delay, Armin’s green eyes focused on me like a laser pointer. “Oh yeah, I forgot that you came with me, where have you been?” Mikasa bluntly pointed out and inquired, nearly unfazed by Armin’s appearance. 

Armin’s head snapped from my direction to Mikasa’s and then back to mine before he finally spoke, “You didn’t FUCKING tell me about the old lady downstairs that gives out cookies!” Whoops, that sounds like Miss Jackson in apartment 104, she’s a strange one, that's for sure. “Yeah, she has a weird hobby of making different cookies and randomly pulling someone off the corridor and into her apartment just to try her cookies, she’s relatively harmless though,” Even Mikasa is looking at me weird now. 

“What kind of people live in your apartment complex Eren?” Mikasa asked but I had a sneaking suspicion that she didn’t want to know the answer. Armin gained back his breath and said with complete fatigue, “Can we just go shopping now?” Mikasa and I quickly nodded, I began to lead them both out through my secret passageway that means we can avoid Miss Jackson for Armin’s sake. Damn, what cookies did she make him eat, all I can hear from Armin now is mumbles of “Fucking cookies” and “Why is my stomach feeling sore?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quotes from my best friend reading this chapter:
> 
> 'Ahhhh, the cookies! Brings up so many questions and leaves them alllllllll unanswered...' 
> 
> 'Miss Jackson, Miss Jackson, are you resting?'


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and friends have a good day out shopping and gossiping...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I didn't upload another chapter but me and my best friend got super busy in the week and were unable to upload this chapter!  
> (* _ω_)…
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway, please let us know if you're enjoying this story so far, it would mean so much to us! (^▽^;)
> 
> This story will upload every Saturday! o(^-^)o

Thankfully, it had stopped raining so hard by the time we pulled into the town car park. It took about ten minutes for us to finally park somewhere as Mikasa had a fixation about being as close to the shops as possible. Probably because she’s lazy and doesn’t want to walk too far but I’ll never tell her that, I value my life. We all get out of her massive, black Land Rover and start to head towards the high street. There are so many stores here but I rarely find one that I like as they are mainly for teenage girls and I’m sorry but that's not my style.

Mikasa loves shopping and so does Armin secretly. In fact, I think he loves it more than Mikasa does sometimes. After going up and down the high street, weaving in and out of every shop we could find, we headed to the last shop left; TopGentlemen. On the way out of the store, we decided that it would be best to stop off and have some lunch at the local Kosta Coffee (it was more like Armin’s stomach grumbled and mine and Mikasa’s grumbled back in agreement). We all had around five bags each so we made the decision to steal the last massive table inside so that we could put our stuff down. Mikasa and Armin got into another row about Coffee and Tea which was fantastic because it meant I had to pay for everyone’s food. 

We sit down at our reserved table after Mikasa and Armin ended up apologizing for a few minutes because of their argument. “Anyway, has any of us got news or gossip that we can talk about today?” Armin suggested with an eye wiggle to boot as he sipped on his peppermint tea. Um no, I have no gossip because nothing, as usual, has happened to - Wait, I have gossip, I met a handsome stranger. Ah, fight the blush from within, they can’t see me blush. Mikasa looks at me weirdly and blurts out, “Eren, why do you look like you’re constipated?” What the fuck, Mikasa? My face instantly went to my bitch face and she gleefully commented, “Ah, that's better, at least it doesn’t look like you are gonna shit on the seat you’re on, haha.”

Does she want a punch in the face in Kosta? I swear she is testing me in ways even the lord wouldn't. I force a smile on to my face while Mikasa carries on with her whirlwind words, “Anyway as for gossip, I went on a date with the hot guy from accounting, it went -”Armin’s head shot up and from his mouth exploded, “Woah, I’m not talking about love life drama Mikasa, I’m saying lighthearted drama that we can forget about when we leave.” Yikes, I don’t really get to see this side of Armin very much but when I do, it’s a little intimidating. Yeah, right now, I can feel that I am not the alpha male. I’m just happy that he wants to steer clear of love life drama because I have quite the - hold up, no, I don’t have a love life.

Mikasa just rolled her eyes at me and Armin, sarcastically explaining, ”Just because you two don’t have love lives anyway,” she paused for a moment, gazing blindly into thin air for just a second. Armin whispered something about the fact that he does have a love life. A second later and it’s as if a lightning bolt struck Mikasa, “Okay I have good gossip especially for you Armin, did you guys know that there is a new shop opening up in two weeks time?” Armin’s foul mood suddenly softened for a second as I could visibly see his interest shot across his face but it was quickly chased away. I shook my head at Mikasa but before she could speak, Armin chimed in, “Another shop? How exactly is that gossip-worthy? There are new shops all the time.”

Mikasa unfazed by Armin’s rudeness went on to explain, “The reason why it is gossip-worthy, you idiot, is because it’s a tea shop.” Mikasa sat there with a smug look on her face because if there is one thing that we know that can improve Armin’s mood, it is tea. “Okay, you win, that sounds awesome, tell me more, like where it is? What date does it open? What kind of teas would be served there? Gimme the basics,” Armin said in a nonchalant way even though me and Mikasa shared a knowing smile about how obsessed he is going to become now. Mikasa gave him all the details, while I absentmindedly listened and nodded at points. Huh, it seems like Armin’s is really getting excited about this Tea shop, maybe I should visit it when it opens? 

All in all, it has been a very relaxing thirty minutes with my best friends but that changed when I notice a certain neighbour of mine come into Kosta, clearly hungover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A segment of notes made by my best friend as she read this chapter:
> 
> 'I swear the Angel of insults is guiding your way.'
> 
> 'Ooh Eren kinda forgetting about his love life just starting! We’ve got big plans for you Eren! ;) This part is adorable so far, such cuteness from Levi and Armin over their respective crushes! Oh nice tie in to Levi’s new shop! Hahahaha!! Back to the tea and coffee. Aww Mikasa is sweet tho. Armin and his tea!!! Wow! Awwwww Hange coming in! How does this sound? It sounds sooooo good so far!! Love the bit between Armin and Mikasa, its my second fav ship now! Awwe!'


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The peace is disturbed from Eren's lovely little lunch by a hungover Hange...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys for the late upload, I got really busy yesterday, hope you can forgive! (ⅈ▱ⅈ)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter, we enjoyed writing it! o(^-^)o
> 
> Next week will be something a little different, Levi's point of view! (゜ロ゜)

I could tell from the stumbling steps that she still hadn’t quite recovered from last night but she still had a massive grin on her face as she waddled over to the cashier. Armin and Mikasa notice me not paying attention to the conversation anymore and turned around to stare at whatever has caught my gaze, in this case, it would be Hange. “Yo Eren, who is that you're staring at? She looks like she’s pretty hungover, whoever she is,” Armin noted over his shoulder to me. Yo, why are you both staring too? Idiots, I swear, I'm dealing with idiots. I angrily whisper at the pair, “That’s just my neighbour, she had a pretty big party last night so that’s probably why and can you two stop fucking staring at the woman?” They then swirl around as I finish, clearly not wanting to piss me off. 

They mumble their apologies to me but I can tell from the small smiles on their faces that they are enjoying this. I glance back towards Hange only to see that she wasn’t there anymore. Maybe, she got a take out then, my shoulders began to relax - ”EREN, hey, how are you doing my man?” Suddenly a face popped out in front of me from the side, the motion made my body jump. It took me a second too long to realise that it was Hange. The looks on Armin and Mikasa tell me that they weren’t expecting this either, thank god, at least it isn’t just me. “Woah Hange, I didn’t see you there, I’m doing alright, how about you?” 

Hange laughs loudly and smiles brightly while Armin and Mikasa just sit flicking their eyes between each other and Hange clearly not knowing what to do. “I’m doing fine all things considered... by the way, sorry if the music was too loud last night, I heard that you got my friend to turn it down, I'll try and keep it down next time,” Hange spoke with a mischievous tone which did not help the fact that my cheeks were fighting to not blush at the mention of the stranger. Ah, pull yourself together man, god you would think I have a crush. “That’s alright Hange, it got turned down so I could get to sleep so I appreciated what they did, I hope you can relay that to your friend,” The words struggled to get out of my mouth in fear of sounding too enthusiastic. 

“Yeah, it was pretty funny cause he had to near enough fight everyone to make sure the volume stayed down, I’ve never seen him care so much about another person so quickly,” Fuck me, the blush is rising and it won’t stop. I glanced at the others and I wish I hadn't. Their bodies were leaning on the table with scheming smirks spread across their faces. Hange leaned in as well and whispered to me in a joking manner, “How did you do it? Did you seduce him somehow Eren? Whatever you did, keep doing it, I love to tease him about it.” Oh god, I didn’t even flirt with him, did I? I’m so confused, maybe Hange is just exaggerating. 

“Haha, no Hange, he was just being nice and I didn’t seduce him at all,” I tried my best to sound confident and indifferent but I have a feeling that I'm failing. Hange’s smile widened at an alarming rate and chuckled quietly before charismatically laughing, showing all her teeth. “What?” screeched Armin who had been quietly listening to the whole thing in confusion. “Damn, you’ve been seducing a guy and not telling US about it! Eren!” His underlying fury was showing through his sarcastic facade. Hange was doubled over laughing, probably at the fact that I had to explain this to my two best friends. “Well guys, it was fun but I'll let you work this out between yourselves,” Hange announced as she got up from the table. She threw me a wink and skipped all the way out of the cafe door, giggling as she went. 

As soon as she left I was bombarded by questions from my left and right. “How could you not tell us about this?” “What does he look like?” “When did you meet?” They talked over each other, firing questions like there was no tomorrow. Ah, What is happening? “GUYS, there is no one I’m interested in and no one that I'm dating, Hange was just winding us all up!” The harsh words flowed out of my mouth in an attempt to get theirs to stop. It worked surprisingly well as their eyes grew wide and their mouths flung open at my loud voice. “Oh shit, really? There’s really no one after all?” Armin whispered it seems almost as if he would rather not ask. A pang of sadness hit me in my gut from Armin’s words as I quietly answered back, “Yep, there’s no one.”

Mikasa perked up, we met eyes, “So we got this gossip and you say that it’s not real? What happened then, who is this mystery boy?” She held my head in her hands and made me face her, her eyes telling me that if I didn’t say anything she would headbutt me. “Well… It’s not that massive but Hange was having this party and it was super loud. I went outside to ask them to turn the volume down and met a guy there. He was … really… good- looking.” Mikasa looked at me and raised an eyebrow, “So he was smoking hot then.” Armin was taken aback, “How’d you know he was hot?” She smiled. “Whenever Eren says anyone is good-looking, it means they have fucking god-like beauty, ya know.” 

Armin shyly pointed out in a hushed breath, “But Eren never said that you-know-who, his ex, was good-looking.” Mikasa smiled mischievously at Eren, keeping eye contact the whole time. “Yeah,” she said while chuckling lightly, “that's because he only referred to that guy as cute, not good-looking.” Armin with questioning eyebrows looked between Mikasa and Eren a few times before eventually, he said, “How the hell do you know this kind of stuff?” A gentle but still slightly smug smile graced her face as she pointed out, “It’s because I spent every day of my childhood with this guy.” She pointed towards me, sulking I nodded my head towards Armin. “We know nearly everything about each other.” 

Wow, all this drama over one guy, I bet he doesn’t even remember me.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's point of view from the party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to upload again, I had a manic day yesterday and I just forgot but the good news is that this chapter is the longest chapter I've written so far! ◉‿◉
> 
> We hope everyone enjoys it and if you want to give us any feedback, then please feel free to do so! ɷ◡ɷ
> 
> We're gonna start uploading every two weeks now as uni is starting back for me and my best friend is off to uni in another country next week so we won't be able to get chapters up as fast as every week, I hope you all understand and stay patient while we continue this story as it is a wild one that is only just beginning! (ーー;)

What am I even doing here? It’s not as if she couldn’t have had the party without me. God and her taste in music is questionable right now. I stand outside her apartment waiting to be let in as I ring the bell. It’s only ten-thirty at night so there shouldn’t be too many people inside. I don’t want to have to interact too much, today has been kind of shitty already that I don’t have the energy to give a fuck. I mean, I've rocked up in one of my old white v-neck t-shirts and some jeans that I washed a few days ago and hadn’t put them away yet. Oh yeah, I’m definitely ready to party, this is gonna be so much fun, I sigh deeply, Sarcasm seems to flow through me when I'm stressed. What the hell is taking them so damn long about opening a freaking door?

After about twenty minutes, I hear fast footsteps headed to the door from the other side. Finally, someone has the bright idea to check the fucking door. It swings open and I’m met with the hostess herself. “AHH, Levi, I didn't know you were gonna be this early, you been waiting long?” Clearly, she’s had a few drinks so I can’t argue with her in this state, it would be like talking to a brick wall. She hung onto the door frame to keep her balance while smiling at me with a wide grin. “Only five minutes or so, don’t worry about it, how’s the party coming along?” Making conversation, we head into her apartment. It was filled to the brim with tokens from holidays abroad to Asian countries, however, the place had a Moroccan vibe to it which was quite nice, in my opinion. 

It was already a mess though, there were about three dozen people in the apartment already and all of them were drunk or slightly intoxicated. Hange leaves me on the couch to attend to some disaster that happened in the kitchen and I can't help but feel awkward. Maybe if I have a drink, it will calm my nerves. Sometime later and I'm finally having some drink I made and I'm in the corner of the room watching, in a crowd of people, this guy tries a freestyle rap. God, now I remember why I don't come to parties, they bore me. I bet nothing at this party is actually exciting enough for me to be thankful I came. With this thought, I decided the best thing to do is cut the night short and head home so I slink away from the crowd of people and quickly make my way towards the front door. 

Stepping outside, I realised how hot it was in the apartment, the cool air hit me like a wave. A sudden craving began to stir within me, I need a cigarette. With the door slowly closing behind me, I rummaged as hard as I could to find my lighter and smokes. I find them sitting in my back pocket, I bring the cigarette to my lips, ready to light it when I hear a sudden noise. I turn towards Hange’s door fast but quiet. Fuck, has she already realised I’m gone? 

To my surprise it wasn’t Hange’s door opening, it was her neighbours. She told me that the person living next door was a bit of a reclusive, shy type so I would probably never see him. Well, shit, I fucking see him and he looks pissed off. The light from his own apartment shone down on his face for a second before it flicked off. He’s pretty cute from what I could see, even if he is slamming his door like a lunatic and then proceeds to go banging on Hange’s door like he’s on a hellbent course of revenge, it for some reason amuses me. 

Fuck, why is looking at someone making me want to giggle? Maybe, i’ve had too much to drink or something? Mmm, I don’t know but whatever it is, I somehow managed to blurt out, “You okay there, cupcake?” Am I being sauve right now or just downright creepy? I ponder this for a second as I lit a cigarette and take an emergency drag. As I think, I see the other man twisting his body around as if he was about to be possessed by a demon. Yep, I was just downright creepy, shit. I take another breath in of my cigarette stalling for time to find something less sinister to save me from giving off a stranger danger vibe. Lord, if Hange could see me now.

The little light that the smoke gives off lets me take in the man before me, slicing cheekbones and jawline, soft brown hair, stunning emerald eyes and some damn good pyjama’s. Is that Harry Potter? I love the books, he’s a fan? Is it acceptable to point it out now? Fuck it, they’re a fan as well, it will be fine. “Nice pyjamas there, big Harry Potter fan myself,” when I noticed the outline of his shoulders fall and relax slightly by my words, it automatically made me think he’s so cute. “Yeah, i-i’m fine and thanks, they’re just some old ones I put on, y’know,” the man in front of me stammered. Ha, at least now I know he’s a pretty bad liar, it’s kind of a sweet attempt though. "Are you at this party?” 

A chuckle escapes from my lips as I happily reply, “I am, Hange is a good friend of mine even though she is fucking crazy at times.” A pause began to fill the silence, have I just killed the conversation? Crap, please say something cute neighbour. “Could I ask you to turn down the music from inside then?” His voice was so quiet that if I wasn’t listening intently for his response then I would have missed it.1 Hange told me that they were friends so it’s a bit odd that he would ask me, can’t he do it himself? ”Why don’t you just go in and turn it down yourself?” Oh god, the guy in front of me just inhaled sharply, I’ve pissed him off somehow, maybe he and Hange have had a falling out or something. ”Well, to be honest… I’m in my pyjamas and I wasn't invited and I think it would be rude if I just went into my neighbour's apartment to turn off her music,” Huh, so maybe Hange was exaggerating when she said that you two were good friends, figures.

Maybe I should just go turn down the music for him. He probably has to get up early for something if he’s banging on the doors about it, I kind of feel bad for him, the music's too loud anyway. Plus he is extremely cute and he’s Hange’s neighbour so I should try to leave a good impression. Right, here’s to a night of music guard watch, I look at my smoke realising it’s the last one I'll have tonight, “Well, it wasn’t that good a cigarette anyway.” I snub out the cigarette and make my way to Hange’s door, running on autopilot. It wasn’t until I reach the door that I remember that I hadn’t said goodbye or anything. As I turn around, I see quick movements behind me where Hange’s neighbour was. The light from the party illuminated some of the corridor and the stranger in front of me. Wow, he’s cute, especially with the blushing. Wait, maybe he’s still embarrassed about me pointing out his Pj’s, I should try to make him feel better about them, they are cute anyway. “Hey, you look cute in your PJ’s, you don’t need to be embarrassed, alright?” Ah, he’s started blushing even more but it doesn’t look like it's in a bad way so that makes me happy at least. “Anyway bye, hope you have a good night… Oh and that you get the sleep you wanted… well, see ya,” say it quickly and get out of here before you make a fool out of yourself Levi. I rush back into the party room and find the stereo, nobody seems to be paying attention to it. Africa starts to play and damn it, I actually quite like this song. Ah, doesn’t matter, Hange’s neighbour needs sleep more than I need to listen to a song. I turn down the music and my night as the most hated individual at the party begins. I brush off all the questions about the reasoning behind it and I think, Hange was too far gone to realise that the music had been turned down. My mind kept wandering to the blushing pyjama man all night long, I am going to meet him again, that's for sure.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren wants to be warm and Levi's party prediction becomes true!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello strangers, it's been a while but lucky for you, I give you the next chapter! ＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／
> 
> The next few chapters are going to be filled with a lot of Eren and Levi so don't worry about that! ♡(ŐωŐ人)
> 
> My best friend is settling into uni life now and I couldn't be more proud of her but because of this, she hasn't been able to help as much! 
> 
> Even so, in her busy schedule, she still makes time to read what I write! o(^▽^)o

Eren.

  
It had been two weeks since the party and the coffee shop incident and life has started to get back to normal. It’s probably for the best, I'm so busy that I wouldn't have time for a relationship of any sort. To be completely honest, my life has been rather mundane and boring since then as well, maybe I need a hobby or something. The air is freezing and the dew that settled overnight has a high chance of becoming ice; another reason why I refuse to drive. My office's heating had broke in the summer and I had been meaning to get it sorted out but I forgot. Christ, that mistake is biting me in the arse now.

"Mr Yeager, how is the Longstan design coming alon-" A voice burst through my office door, I look up from my monitor to be met with my amazing secretary, Petra. The 5ft 2 woman is a ball of fiery passion which wasn't apparent when she was hired. She was a quiet, passive lady which is what the bosses liked. Honestly, I love her more like the rocket that she is, Petra shocked the bosses when she revealed how outspoken she could be. “Petra, please, please, can you knock next time?” I plead with her as I look up towards her. “Uh yeah, sorry that’s my fault, I keep forgetting,” her amber eyes grew wide as she bit her whole lower lip.

“Just remember for next time and yes, I’ve finished the rough copy thirty minutes ago, I have to wait for Klaus to get in to overview it with me so I can get the go-ahead.” Klaus is my work partner in arms, we’ve been working together since he started working at the company two years ago. At 6’4, he towers over most people except for me, even though I am smaller than him as well. He is like a bouncing ball of joy that can’t stop, that is when he is awake. He sort of crashes and burns more frequently than a lightbulb but he makes up for it with great work, plus everyone loves him and thinks of him like a child we need to protect. “Will do, sir. Also, I have no idea when Klaus is going to be in cause he said he was pulling an all-nighter yesterday.” Petra informed me reluctantly, knowing that this always puts us back for time even though the work he’ll give is going to be the best. I sigh from the bottom of my stomach, What on earth am I going to do while I wait for this man?

“ I see, it’s the waiting game then,” I mumble as I pull the blanket that I brought in, from around my waist and fix it over my shoulders. Feeling the cold at this time was beginning to wear down on my mood for the day. Petra saw this and pulled an unsavoury face, “You still have a broken heating system in here? I thought that was meant to be fixed in the summer,” her hands hit her hips as she tried to make herself as intimidating as possible, it didn’t work, A for effort though. I simply shot my eyes at her, not wanting to get into detail about it all. Thankfully, she took the hint when she sighed and proposed an idea to me, “Look, it’s too cold in here to do some work and it’s almost lunch, why don’t you go to that new cafe place down the high street?”

It sounds like the tea shop place that Armin was talking about, maybe I should wait to go with Armin and Mikasa? Ah but they would just be arguing the whole time about Coffee and Tea and there is no way I am getting involved in that drama again. It might be nice to just go there on my own, I may even get some more work done. Okay, it's decided, I will go. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea actually, if I’m gone slightly longer then can you -” Petra holds her hand up to stop me from continuing my sentence and starts her own, “Don’t worry, Boss! I will cover for you if anyone asks.” I chuckle and say my thanks as I grab all the essentials for work in a cafe.

Sneaking out of the building was easy, bracing myself for the weather was not so easy. Ah, why is it always raining? My coat doesn’t have a hood, my hair is going to get soaking wet. At least, my laptop and all my files are covered, unlike me. I looked up the new Tea shop on the way out of the building and it’s called Teapot Tradition, sounds very edgy and hipster, I secretly love it already. I follow the map for about 10 minutes, running in the rain is not something I suggest to anyone. Our office isn’t that far away from the high street where the cafe is based but it feels like forever as my brown locks stick to my forehead. I should have found an umbrella, now I look like a mole-rat.

  
Levi.

  
Holy mother-fucking shit, why did I move to the coldest part of the country? The heating is on and I'm still getting chills. Maybe there’s a ghost on the premises, come out, come out, where ever you are, fucking ghost and get out of my shop! When I'm cold, I get grumpy, really grumpy. Great, I have to meet customers like this now. It’s been a few weeks since my Tearoom, Teapot Tradition opened up and quite frankly, I'm surprised it’s doing so well. It kind of makes me feel giddy when a new customer comes in but I won’t show that I have to stay professional, obviously. It’s just another day in the shop and it is way too cold to be normal. I go to the back and check the heating. Fuck me, that's the problem, it wasn’t turned on. I flip the switch before anyone notices and take great joy in the seeping heat trickling in from the vents.

Me and my employees begin to set up the tearoom for Lunchtime and as the clock strikes twelve, like clockwork, customers begin to pour in from the autumn rain. The cafe radio picks up as the presenter announces the next song, ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. Not a massive fan of this song so I go across the shop to the radio. The hum of the shop seems to be doing well so I decided that it would be fine to change stations, however, something stopped me. It was the man jogging along next to the cafe, it was only for a second that I saw him in the window but I could have sworn that I knew him from somewhere. I walked away from the radio as I lost myself in thought wondering about the mystery man. I quickly jump over the counter and head to the store back. The front door chimed from the corner of the shop and for some reason, I turned around. Rushing into my shop was Hange’s neighbour completely drenched, well fuck.


	9. The driver's licence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They interact when Eren buys a tea.
> 
> Levi realises something important but does Eren?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back!
> 
> Unfortunately, my best friend wasn't available to help me with this chapter but I still hope you like it!
> 
> I don't know when the next chapter will go up but hopefully in the next few weeks.

Before he could get to the counter, I zap next to the barista and quickly tell them that I’ll serve this new customer. They give me a confused look but made no comment on it and stepped aside for me. God, why does it feel like I’ve run a marathon? The man flicks his dripping brown hair back and proceeds to look around the shop while he approaches the counter. Wow, he’s still so pretty, I thought the dark light of the party might have made him appear more angelic than he actually was but it’s the opposite, the light really shows off the polished cheekbones and the sweet hint of a honey tan, I can’t help but think I know him from somewhere however with a face like that, I would surely remember seeing him and his intoxicating looks. 

Oh god, snap out of it, he’s nearly at the counter. I force myself to look down at the till trying to figure out the machine and how it worked. Oh God, I really should have figured this out beforehand. It was only when I heard footsteps grow closer that I dared myself to look back up and to my surprise so did Hange’s neighbour, our eyes met perfectly for a moment like in a damn romantic comedy. I could instantly tell that he recognised me, and I felt a twinge of my ego stir, he remembers me, hell yeah but that also made me scared because what does he remember about me. His eyes bulged and the familiar blush graced his cheeks once more, I hope that's a good sign that he’s not going to run out the store. The edges of my lips tilted up on their own before I realised and my heart couldn’t help but race when his did the same.

“Hi again, long time no see, how have you been?” Why am I so much more confident whenever he’s near? What if he doesn’t really remember me and it’s just my mind tricking me? “Hey, yeah I’ve been well, I’m sorry for the last time we met, I was a bit of a pest, wasn’t I?” Did this cute man that is the embodiment of puppy dog eyes, just say he was a pest? Bitch, you were the best part of my night. Hell, you made my entire week. I shouldn’t say that though otherwise, I’ll look like a crazy person again and I don’t want to freak out this unknown man. “No, no, don’t be silly, you were cute, I’m Levi by the way,” The words felt like freestyle rap to my tongue, but it got the job done. 

The blush deepens on the other man’s face as a smile tries to force its way out of his lips. He runs his left hand to the nape of his neck and replied quietly, “Oh, you think so? That’s a relief then, I was worrying all this time for nothing then.” His eyes shot open showcasing his hypnotic emerald irises. Interesting, he just implied he’s been thinking about our interaction for the past two weeks, all at once, I feel a rush of adrenaline surging through my chest, my heartbeat quicken in an instant and raging heat fill my cheeks. “I just mean that um… you know, I didn’t want to come across as rude or anything, oh god, I’m going to stop talking now,” the neighbour seems really nervous around me, I’m not intimidating, am I? Quick, say something. “It’s a shame you’re gonna stop talking, you haven’t even told me your name or what you’d like to order,” The words fell out and even to my ears I could hear how harsh I made them. Can I not just say something the right way for once? I find it so amusing that being a dismissive introvert for years comes to bite me in the ass now.

Luck is certainly on my side, the neighbour looked at me confused for a flash of a second before lowering their eyes to the ground and chuckling. Their Emerald eyes gleam as they fluttered back into my gaze, the other man utters in a low voice, “Oh dear, I’m making a fool out of myself, aren’t I? In any case, my name is Eren Yeager.” His name is Eren Yeager? I feel like I know that name from somewhere, maybe I’ve briefly met him before. Ha, there’s a slim chance of that happening, maybe I just want to have met Eren before, I thought bitterly for a moment. “I think you’re doing fine Eren but you haven’t answered my last question, is there anything you want to eat or drink?” His face seems to brighten up from my light-hearted tone and my lips can’t hide the urge to lift into a delicate smile. 

Eren begins to bite his nails as he mumbles, “You’re completely right, I haven’t but the thing is I’m actually more of a hot-chocolate man myself, so I have no idea what to get.” Aw, he hasn’t had different teas before, I shouldn’t really do this but I gesture to the back of the shop and explain, “I have some hot chocolate in the back, I can go get that for you if you don’t know any t-” suddenly, I get cut off by Eren as he exclaims, “No, don’t do that, this is meant to be a tea shop, I should at least try one of them.” My heart must of just grew three times, plus it helps my shop out more. I’ll ease him into the world of tea, I already know I have the perfect one for him. “Okay, wait here for a moment then, I’m going to pick one for you,” leaving behind an intrigued Eren, I zap into the back storage room and fish out the perfect tea for him. He’s got to like this one, right? I bring the tea leaves out to the front and begin preparing the tea. Oh god, what if he doesn’t like it? What am I going to do? Die of embarrassment? Probably.

I finish making the drink and seal it in a teapot. Bringing the tray towards the counter, I steal a glance in Eren’s direction, and he seems almost giddy to see what I chose for him. His large build and height oppose his smile, wide and carefree. Seeing him like that takes all the mental power I have to control myself from fangirling over him. I set the tray down and from out of my mouth instantly shoots, “That’ll be £2.40 and don’t ask what it is because it’s a surprise.” Wow, why do I get stupidly confident and flirty when he’s around? Eren’s face lightens as he whips out a worn leather wallet from his back pocket. 

As he searches for the correct change, I slyly check out Eren’s face. His hair has dried down now to a light brown colour, he has a slight pink hue to his cheeks, his lips look sweet enough to – Woah, where are you going brain? I shake my head slightly to snap myself back into the moment. As Eren takes out the coins one by one, I notice something odd. The driver's licence next to the coin pocket. 

No fucking way. 

The photo is old but that is one hundred percent the same guy. Damn Eren scrubbed himself up after all these years, not that he wasn’t hot back then. I had a one-night stand with him like five years ago. Life likes to play jokes after all. Does he remember me? Is that why he is acting embarrassed? Oh god, please don’t be that. 

How am I meant to act now? Fuck, I need to put my bitch face on. Eren glanced at my face and sped up getting the change out, “Sorry if I’m taking too long with the money,” Eren muttered as he finished. Fuck, I did another bad thing, maybe I’m not cut out for dating, flirting and shit. I steal a peep around him noting the lack of customers due to the rain as I respond back, “don’t worry about it, there’s no one behind you right now anyway.” I swing a little smile his way to try to make up for my harsh manner. I seriously need to learn people skills, maybe Hange can help – actually maybe not. Eren takes his tea and as he goes to leave for a table, his head turns back to me in a coy manner and under his eyelashes, he mumbles a sweet little thank you. 

He has no idea we’ve slept together, I’m sure of that now. I don’t even remember most of it though which is shitty of me, but we were drinking a lot that night. At least, I remembered him, I thought sarcastically. It was the most meaningful hook up I have ever had and he doesn’t even remember me. Well, I thought as I watched him sip his hot chocolate tea with delight, I think I’m going to do it right this time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren had a shitty week at work and slowly starts internalising and then to add to the misery, his dad calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be a good idea to show and highlight Eren's issues and what he's still struggling with after he got left at the altar. 
> 
> This will make the Levi and Eren scenes so much sweeter! ヽ(ヅ)ノ

It’s been about three weeks since I started going to Levi’s tearoom. Its almost become a ritual and I don’t remember being this excited to somewhere before. Even when my work stresses me out, I just have to see Levi in the shop and I always feel a wave of calm come over me. When I first started going Levi seemed a little nervous with me coming so I stopped. Mikasa and Armin went during lunchtime instead of me. Apparently, he was watching out for someone the whole time that they were there. When they relayed this, I felt the blush hop onto my cheeks and they made fun of me that I had found a new fling. I told them off and exclaimed that’s not true, but it did make me end up going back to Teapot Tradition only a few days later. Seeing Levi again was like the feeling of coming home. Levi’s face couldn’t mask the happy surprise that flooded it, I keep getting butterflies in my stomach whenever he smiles at me. 

It’s the end of a hard day at work, Friday evening and so many projects have fallen through this week, the company is losing so many clients due to another company that set up in town recently. I heard that they were a pretty huge deal in the big cities but now I'm worrying that they’ll run our company into the ground if we don’t get some new clients soon. God, why am I thinking of this now? Walking home alone gives me time to think about everything but unfortunately, I end up thinking about the bad things as well as the good and I have no one to help me snap out of it. It’s on days like this that I really miss having someone. 

I sigh as I walk down the street, the rain drizzles down onto my black umbrella, my body begins to ache as I approach my apartment complex. I can’t help thinking about my job, how vital am I to the team anyway? Could I just be let go if we don’t make our numbers this month or will the others that I care for in the team be let go? Am I worth letting others go just to keep me on the team? The stairs seem to take longer and longer, more than it usually does. There’s a heavy weight on my shoulders that builds as these thoughts begin to pound in my head. My life for the past 5 years has been mostly alone, I have my friends for sure but when I go home, I'm met with a hollow apartment.

I was so wrapped up in my head, that I didn’t even realize that I still had my umbrella up as I arrived at my door. Eren, I thought determined, come on now, you need to cheer up and give yourself a break, you’re trying your best. Nodding to myself, I pack the old umbrella away, fish out my keys from my bag and enter into my flat. As I carry myself into the room, I fling my laptop bag beside me onto the grey armchair next to my coat rack. I slam the door to close it and make my way to my fully made mattress across the room. I hurl myself into the cosy bed and allow myself a few hours of blissful sleep, where my mind wandered to a certain raven-haired man. 

Ring, ring, ring, is that my phone? My eyes bolt open, it takes a moment to adjust to the darkness. Shit, where is my phone? I rub my worn out eyes as I think of where I left it. Oh right, I remember where it is. I reach down into my left pocket and pull it out. The name on the screen was the last person I expected to call me. It was my father. Why is he calling me? I don’t get it, he wanted me out of his life 5 years ago and I did what he wanted. What does he want from me now? Does he want to rekindle our relationship? Thinking back to my childhood, I realised that this would never be the case, he’s not one to admit his wrongs. 

I hit the red button and threw the phone down on the grey sheets next to me. Trying to wake myself up, I run my hands across my face and through my hair. Bouncing off the bed, I begin to change out of my suit and into my snug Gryffindor pyjamas. I keep thinking about why my father decided to call now after 5 years of no contact, is he dying or something? Should I call him back? Was I being selfish in rejecting his call? What if he needs me? The phone hasn’t lit up since his call so he hasn’t left a message, maybe he doesn’t need me at all. Should I forget about it? Can I forget about it? As I take a ragged breath listening to my thoughts, a single tear escapes from my eyes and falls onto my wooden floor. 

I should just get some food, that may make me feel better. Wading through my open plan apartment, I reach the small kitchen area. The tears have stopped before I realised it. What do I want to eat? Scanning the cupboards and my fridge, I decided that pot noodles are good enough for now. After eating on the kitchen counter, I hop down and decide to go on my phone because I’m bored, nope - Thinking about that reminds me of my father, I don’t want to go near it now. I look around my apartment and wonder what I can do instead. Fuck it, I’ll just go to sleep. I’m too tired to do anything else.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follows Levi's perspective for a few days.
> 
> You see his house, his car, his cat.
> 
> ...and Levi realises some things by the end of the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday today and I'm 20, crazy!
> 
> I wanted to post this chapter but I didn't have time to finish it until today so I hope you enjoy it.

I genuinely love my tearoom; it honestly brings me so much joy, but I don’t like what the interior decorators did to it. My tearoom is called Teapot Tradition, I'm French and Japanese and yet they themed it British. I didn’t really want that, I tried to say this to them, but the decorators kept insisting that it would get me more customers this way. That’s why I’ve decided to consult another firm to do this, it’s called SinaTreasures&Co. I’ve been having secret meetings with a small team, a week or so before the shop opened to see what they could do and they have really been on board with my idea but obviously, I had to keep it under wraps for the time being so now, I’m officially going ahead with the renovation and I can now meet with all of the interior decorators. 

It's Friday evening now and I drop off the papers to the secretary who appeared to be about to leave, I told her that these were documents for the lead interior decorator. She smiled and said that would be no problem, I thanked her and then left. Short, simple and sweet, at least it didn’t take the hassle of the other company. Getting into my black 1968 Chevy Camaro, I saw a silhouette of someone off in the distance. Guess, I’m not the only person out right now, maybe they’ve come from work. I turn the key in the ignition and the car purrs to life. I begin driving down the road, getting closer and closer to the person walking. Is that Eren? Wait- I think it might be. I slow the car down slightly as I pass and- it’s Eren. What is he doing here late at night? He looks a little stressed from what I could see. Should I go back and offer him a lift home? No, I don’t want to look like a fucking stalker, I’m a little worried about him though, he’ll be fine getting home right? 

I drive to my house all the while thinking about anything to keep my mind off Eren right now. I need to keep focused on the renovation of my tearoom. Parking up on my driveway, I realise how damn lucky I am to live here. I Inherited this home from my mother when she died six years ago, she had only a small amount of mortgage left so when I took over the house, I paid it all off and now it’s completely mine. It’s big enough that I could rent this place out to three or four strangers, but I just couldn’t do that. Walking into the foyer, I back kicked the oak front door closed and hung my coat up. I just live in this big empty house by myself- meow, well nearly all by myself. 

Maximus is the only mess I let into my house. He kills all the rats and mice for me, and he gets a roof and food, it's a nice deal we have. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he is the cutest cat I’ve ever seen. His silky-smooth charcoal fur coat is a complete contrast to his big emerald eyes. I didn’t even adopt Maximus; he was a feral kitten outside the house during a thunderstorm a few years ago and my mother just took it as a sign to keep him. When I got the house, I got him too and after taking some time to get used to him, I became super fond of him. Though, I won’t tell anyone that. After I feed the both of us, I head upstairs towards my room where I can relax and fall asleep. Entering my room, I make my way to my drawers in the dark, my pyjamas sat on top. Changing my clothes, I head to the bed across the gigantic room. My body hits the pillow and I pass out. 

Damn, I must have been tired.

It’s late Saturday morning and after I had a lazy start to the day in bed, I drag my legs down the stairs to the kitchen. Saturdays are my day off in the week, it’s weird to my employees because it’s the busiest day in the week but that’s exactly why I stay away. I can’t deal with big crowds anymore; I just can’t do it. I never hear any complaints however, in fact all I hear are good things, so I know my shop is in good hands. My close friend from back in the day volunteers to help me run things while I’m not there. He’s always bugging me to go to counselling but there’s simply no way I would list my problems in front of a stranger. 

I defuse my apple tea bag in my mug and add a spoonful of sugar while I think over everything I need to do when I go back to work tomorrow. I make myself some BLT sandwiches with what I have left in my fridge. Grabbing the food, I make my way over to the lounge where my papers and laptop sit waiting for me on the coffee table in front of the T.V. Hours later, I get a call from an unknown number while I'm watching my favourite show Hell’s Kitchen with my laptop open on the renovations beside me. Usually, I don’t pick up these calls, but my gut told me to pick it up this time. God, I hope it isn’t a salesperson. 

“Hello? Who is it?” I questioned into the phone waiting for an immediate response. None came however and the seconds went by quickly, is this a prank call? I’m confused now. “Hello?” I tried again slightly louder and this time, I heard a sharp intake of breath. “Hello there, is this Levi Ackerman?” The voice came from the phone was professional but a little shaky, maybe an inexperienced telemarketer? Then it hit me, I know that voice, it belongs to Eren. Why is he calling me? How is he calling me? I don’t remember giving my number. “Yes, this is Levi Ackerman, is…is that you Eren?” A verbal relieved sigh slings from the phone as he speaks, “Hi Levi, yeah it’s Eren here, I’m actually calling on the behalf of SinaTreasures&Co about the renewal interior decoration of your store Teapot Tradition.” 

Wait, Eren is in charge of my renovation? Oh shit, but how am I going to get Eren to-? Welp, never mind about that now. I’m his fucking client now, I can’t cross that line. I have so many questions about everything, he told me he worked for a local company, I didn’t think it was the company I was hiring for my fucking renovation. Wait, I’m panicking too much about this, I’m only going to be his client for a month or so, it wouldn’t be so bad if I tried to make him fall for me, would it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, thank you to everyone that supports this fanfiction and has been patient with me and my best friend for getting this done.
> 
> It's been nearly a year since we started on this and even though it's not been easy to keep writing, we kept going!
> 
> My best friend and I are planning to continue this story to the end... whenever that may be!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's point of view leading up to calling Levi!

Earlier that morning across town.

Begrudgedly waking up, I decided to stay in my Harry Potter pyjamas while I got some coffee, grabbed my laptop, ran to my couch in the middle of my apartment and sifted through my emails. Scrolling to the bottom, I found the most recent email and it was from my secretary, Petra. She must have sent over these files last night. Clicking on it, she informed me that Levi had come to the office yesterday. She took the papers, scanned them in and sent them my way before she locked up the office. She really is a powerhouse of a woman, when she needs to get stuff done, she gets it done. Petra puts so much work into her job, I feel quite inadequate without her as my secretary. I would be a lost fool trying the figure everything out if I didn’t have her working with me. 

At the end of her email, Petra urges me to contact Levi as soon as possible due to a scheduled meeting on Monday with the bosses and the full design team. My body moved like lightening darting for my phone. Unthinking, I switched my phone on and began to blast Levi’s number in, copying it from Petra’s email. Wait, what am I doing? What will I say? Hi Levi, this is Eren; you know the guy that’s being trying and failing to flirt with you for the past month or so. Yikes, I just admitted that to myself. Fuck, how am I going to talk to him? Maybe, I should talk to someone first about what I need to do in this situation. I may help my nerves if I can rationalise everything. The only people that I have told and know about my feelings are Armin and Mikasa. 

There’s no competition; Armin would be the most understanding, in general, of the situation. Mikasa would just get annoyed and wouldn’t really help me. Flipping to my contacts, I look for Armin’s name at the top of the list. Just before I press his name to ring, a text comes through at the top of the screen. It’s from someone I wouldn’t have imagined contacting me; Otto Yeager, my older brother. Crap, I don’t know if I need this right now. I haven’t talked to him in…damn, I can’t remember, probably two years or so. We drifted apart when he decided to go work for our father in the firm over in Germany. After mother, Otto was the closest person I had in the family so after he left, it hurt a lot. What does he have to say? I clicked on the message; I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Is he actually insane? This is not what I thought I would receive from him after everything, but I’m not surprised that it came from him. I can’t handle this right now; I’ll deal with it later and I’ll have to message Otto back and figure out what he was thinking. Where was I?

Oh yeah, I need to ring Armin. It’s around 10 am so he should be up now anyway. I’m getting too distracted by Otto, I need to focus on the situation right now. The phone starts ringing, it wasn’t until the last moment that I heard Armin pick up, “Yo, I know it’s 10am or whatever but I really wanted to sleep in today,” his voice came across raspy and whiny from waking up. Whoops, he’s usually up at this time, I guess I got him on his lazy day. “Sorry Armin but I need your help with something,” I waited to hear a response, when I got none, I went on to say, “It’s about the man from the tea shop place.” I can feel the blush rushing through my cheeks as I mumble the last words out of my mouth. I hear some shuffling coming from the other side of the phone and suddenly through the phone comes, “Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place? Oh my God, have you been secretly sleeping with him or something? Good for you, getting yourself out there,” Armin perked up and gushed down the phone and before he could get the chance to talk again, I interrupted.

“No, I’m not like that anymore, I admit I have been flirting with him a bit but I’m calling because I just got files through from Petra and they say that my next client is him; Levi, I’m going to be working with him for a while and I am wondering and asking, what do I do?” Jesus, that took so much energy out of me for some reason. There’s a chill silence for a few seconds before the line crackles to life as Armin quietly says, “Oh… I must say that really isn’t ideal.” I know Armin, that’s why I’m calling you. “In all seriousness Eren, do you see yourself dating someone like him?” The question caused me to reflect and ponder this myself. In the time that I’ve known Levi, I have begun to see my outlook on parts of my life get a little brighter. If I’m being completely honest, I don’t know what the future will hold. It’s not that I depend on Levi for my happiness. To others he seems rude but to me, I find his blunt nature refreshing. Is that such a bad thing? 

After a minute of thinking, I realise Armin is still waiting for an answer. “I want to get to know him better first but yes, I would like to go on a date with him,” my mumbled voice barely got through to the phone as a wild blush graced my cheeks. “That sounds reasonable, now go get your man,” Armin said with a sassy, light-hearted tone. Has he forgotten that I’m working with him? “Armin, you’re not helping me much here y’know,” I could hear the panic and stress lacing my voice. From the other end of the phone, I hear Armin sigh quietly, “Look, keep it professional for as long as you can but, off the record, if he starts flirting with you, there’s no harm in flirting back, okay?” That does sound fairly reasonable, I knew I could count on him when I need him. The knot in my stomach soothed itself and my mind became clearer. “You’re right, I’m gonna call him now and get it out the way,” I spoke with determination and it seemed Armin liked that as I heard a cheer coming from the phone. “Back to the land of dreams I go, see ya on Monday”, Armin announced in a dramatic voice, a second later the line went dead. 

Punching Levi’s number in was easy, pressing the dial button was easy, hearing Levi’s voice and replying back to him was not easy. “Hello? Who is it?” Oh my God, what the hell do I say? I was not prepared for this, I should have made sticky notes on what to say, shit. Typical Eren, always rushing into everything. “Hello?” He talked again; I’m going to look like a fucking weirdo if I don’t say something. Move your fucking lips Eren. “Hello there, is this Levi Ackerman?” Yay, I got words out, thank the heavens. “Yes, this is Levi Ackerman, is…is that you Eren?” I felt giddy that Levi remembered my voice. With a little smile on my face, I let out a sigh that I don’t have to explain who I am, “Hi Levi, yeah it’s Eren here, I’m actually calling on the behalf of SinaTreasures&Co about the renewal interior decoration of your store Teapot Tradition.” Levi hasn’t spoken in a while; did I say something wrong? Crap, I got worried when I saw the files this morning. We’re going to be working together, how am I meant to handle that?

“I see, I must admit I’m very surprised to find out we’ll be working together but I’m certainly not mad, it really is a small world, huh?” I can feel myself getting fluttered over how smooth Levi’s voice sounded with a hint of amusement playing on his tongue. If I’m not careful, I am going to audibly moan into the phone and I really need to make sure that doesn’t happen. “Well, it’s a smaller town then most so us meeting and working together was bound to happen, haha,” I timidly shared, scared of saying something inappropriate but could I sound anymore uncomfortable? A moment goes by in silence until I hear a low, “I should have moved here sooner then.” I don’t think Levi knows what he’s doing by saying that in such a husky voice but damn, this is going to be a long month as I slide down into my couch with a smile etching itself onto the corners of my lips.

I cleared my throat in fears of sounding too excited and simply continued, “Fair enough, I don’t blame you…the reason behind my call is so I could meet with you before the meeting on Monday and discuss some of your ideas and plans.” Without a second hesitation, Levi’s voice comes barrelling down the phone, “It’s my off day today so you can come to my house today if you want?” Levi wants me to come to his house? I can feel heat rise to my ears and cheeks at this thought, I shake my head to escape my sudden wild thoughts. “Yeah, that sounds amazing, I can come over in an hour, how does that sound to you?” I can already tell my giggly voice is starting to take over, I need to be professional right now but it’s kind of hard when talking to Levi. 

“That sounds perfect to me, it’s not too far away from the shop as well, do you need me to come pick you up or would you like me to send you the address?” Levi’s voice sounded so cool and collected, it made me want to be held in his arms while he serenades me with that pretty- woah, what are you thinking right now Eren? Jesus, get a grip over yourself. “Um, I think it’s fine if you just send me the address, I like walking anyway,” I hope Levi can’t hear how flustered I am, am I desperate or is it just Levi that’s making me feel this way? “Okay then, I’ll see you in an hour then, see you soon Eren,” It’s just Levi making me feel this way. Hearing Levi say my name like that is a sin and I want to bathe in that fucking sin, damn it. Through a jagged breath, I say my goodbyes and hang up the phone. After a few minutes of processing what just happened, I jumped up from my couch, realising I only have an hour to get ready to meet Levi at his house. Now, decision time; do I dress cute or professional?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is almost 2000 words long! 
> 
> I usually put up around 1000 words per chapter because I can put up a chapter faster but for some reason, I was able to make this chapter a little bit longer so I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> If you have any questions or want to have a personal chat about the story, you can find me on the Amino Community of Fan Fiction under the same name I have here. （＾ｖ＾）


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